When Stars Align
by evellaspeidel
Summary: Scorpius and Rose meet on the Hogwarts Express their very first year at school, but it takes the remaining seven years for them to finally figure things out.
1. Years 1-3

First Year

A small boy with white-blond hair, pointed chin, and large, pale blue eyes make his way down the aisle of the Hogwarts Express, dragging behind him an ebony trunk nearly as big as he is which bangs into the compartments on both sides as the train jolts about.

"Oi! First year, out of the way!" Several of his fellow students shove him aside as they rambunctiously continue by. Suddenly another boy, one of his own age this time, appears in front of him. The new boy's unruly black hair, green eyes, and wide grin create a sharp contrast to him. Pale. Strangely formal for a child with his shirt pressed and tucked and hair combed and slicked back. Quiet. Withdrawn.

"Come sit with us!" Scorpius has some idea of who "us" may entail, and thought feeling he may not be welcome, but follows Albus anyway.

The compartment is crowded with the oddest assortment of people, ranging in age from first year to seventh, some with the characteristic Weasley hair, others dark, and some, the blond girls, looking like they were a little more than witches. They didn't notice Albus and Scorpius until one of the fireworks that had been zooming about, landed on Albus' head.

"Oh, Al, you're back," said James, quickly extinguishing the firework.

"And he's brought a friend," added Fred. Everyone looked at Scorpius for a moment. Surprise registered on their faces, especially that of the older cousins, but they were bored before long.

"Nice to meet you, Scorpius," Louis said, before turning back to his book, only enjoying a few seconds' peace before a chocolate frog hopped on his page, which he deftly sent into his sister, Victoire's, hair with a flick of his wand and a slight grin. Clearly tired of her family's immature behavior, she vanished the frog to a roar of protests.

"Hey, I would have eaten that!" exclaimed Roxanne. Victoire ignored her and continued writing a letter. Dominique leaned over her shoulder to catch a glimpse at what be stealing her attention.

"Teddy?" Dominique looked incredulous as she said it. "You just saw him?" She snatched the letter from Victoire and held it behind her so she couldn't reach it. Unfortunately, that put the letter in reach of James. Fortunately, he decided, as he always did, that he would be on Dominique's side. Finally, Victoire succumbed to their prodding and jumped out of her seat to retrieve her letter. James tossed it over to Scorpius. He wasn't sure what to do. They were including him? He wasn't surprised that they had known his name; he had known who Albus was the second he saw him. But that they were actually including him? Victoire took advantage of his momentary shock to triumphantly steal her letter and return to her seat on the bench, which thankfully, no one had yet taken.

"Taking advantage of a first year, Victoire? That's low even for you." The only sign Victoire gave that she had heard James' comment was a sigh and shake of her head. Normally she would reply, but not today.

"Sorry guys." Scorpius felt bad.

"Don't worry about it. Want to play some Exploding Snap?" Albus asked. Scorpius nodded and smiled nervously. As they sat down, Albus continued, "Though you are going to have to get a bit better at teasing Victoire if you are going to be part of our family." Albus looked down and began to deal cards to an ever growing circle of family members. For the first time that day, or perhaps in his life, Scorpius allowed a real smile to cross his face as he looked around. Albus. James. Fred. Louis. Victoire. Roxanne. Dominique. And... her. There was another girl, too. She was looking out the window, watching the countryside fly by. He could see in her eyes that she was far away. But once in a while, he saw, as he watched her during the remainder of the ride to Hogwarts, she smiled, and Scorpius could tell she heard heard everything that was going on and loved being a part of it just as much as he did.

Second Year

Rose packed up her potions ingredients one by one. Satisfied that everything was secure in her bag, she turned to leave. Albus was waiting for her at the door and joined her as she began the walk to the Great Hall for dinner.

"Someone likes you." Rose could tell that he'd been dying to tell her this.

"Okay," she said and continued walking.

"Okay?"

Rose could tell what her cousin-and best friend, wanted her to ask. "Who likes me?" she finally relented in saying with a groan. "As long as it's not McLaggen or-"

"I can't tell you until 'the time is right,'"

Rose rolled her eyes. "Then what was the point in saying anything?"

"You know, that's an excellent question." They had now entered the Great Hall, so they separated as Albus departed for the Slytherin table while she headed for Gryffindor. "See ya Rosie!" Rose waved and smiled as she sat down.

Not because she was glad Scorpius liked her, of course, but because she had figured it out. Who else would have told Albus, but his other best friend? Besides Rose had seen them talking animatedly in potions that afternoon, only to quiet immediately as she had come to give Albus the letter that the family owl had delivered to her by mistake. So it was definitely Scorpius. She shrugged. Scorpius was okay. She didn't really know him, even though they'd had a friend rivalry since day one of classes in first year. Scorpius.

"Amortentia." The Fat Lady's portrait swung open to reveal the passage into the Gryffindor common room. Just then, Albus ran up breathless.

"Scorpius." Rose looked questioningly at him after he said this. Albus continued, "Scorpius, that's who likes you." It was his turn to stare at her. "You do remember when I told you someone liked you, right?"

"Yeah, I just didn't give it much thought." Rose knew this was a lie; she just wished she had confronted Albus sooner, so he would have known how clever she was to have figured out who it was. There was really no point to say anything now. Albus shook his head and walked away. But something had changed, hearing Albus say the name, confirm it. Rose felt her legs turn a little shaky as she climbed up through the open portrait hole.

Third Year

"Rose, are you awake?" Rose laid still, hoping her cousins would buy it and leave her alone for once. As she was always the first to fall asleep at sleepovers, they were fooled. Rose could feel Albus sit up from where he had lain in his sleeping bag next to her when he hear no answer. "Okay guys, you know Scorpius?" Rose could imagine her cousins, attention turned to Albus, nodding. "He likes Rose, you know, like likes." She could feel the shock in the room. She could also feel her own heart beating fast and her cheeks flushing to the color of her hair. She forced herself to lie still and listen. "And the weird thing is, I could actually see them together." Rose braced herself for the teasing remarks that were sure to come. And didn't. Needless to say, Rose fell asleep last that night, still thinking about Scorpius.

"Hey Rose!" Maeve Merrinly sat down across from her in divination. This was odd; Rose didn't usually talk to the Slytherin Gossip Queen. Rose arose to get the tea set that they would need for the day's lesson, still listening though for whatever piece of information Maeve was about to spill, and knowing she'd need no reply from Rose to do so. "Did you hear that Scorpius likes Larkys?" Obviously not. Rose dropped the tray she was holding.

"Oh dear," Trelawny swooped in and whisked the pieces away.

"Oh Rose, you didn't know he doesn't like you anymore, I mean he does like, you but he doesn't..." Maeve gives up with word and instead puts a comforting arm around Rose and leads her back to the tea table. "Poor dear," she says, patting Rose on the back. "I'll get our teapot and cups." The second she returns, she leans across the table, "You didn't like him did you?" Maeve asks sneakily.

"No," I say, practically shouting. In my haste, I knock my copy of Unfogging the Future to the ground. I lean down to get it, only to discover that a certain Daniel Quinn has already placed it on my desk. I smile and thank him. He returns the grin and will keep it on the rest of the day. "No," I repeat softy to myself.


	2. Years 4 and 5

Author's Note: Thanks for reading this! Please take a minute to review!

Fourth Year

Rose looks over at Quinn who sits one row in front of me and two seats to the right. He sneaks a glance at her, she freezes for a second, like she was caught doing something wrong and they both whip around and pretend to look like they're concentrating on their work. It's nauseating really. Or at least that's what I thought, when the flirting started at the end of last year. Lately though, it's really started to bug me. I hate it when her rare and gorgeous unguarded smiles are wasted at the back of the Hufflepuff in question's tawny head, when he "accidentally" bumps into her, and she laughs, looking up into his plain, brown eyes with her shimmering blue. Okay, maybe it bugs me more than a little. Nothing's ever changed; he hasn't even asked her out. He must know she likes him. I don't see why she doesn't like me. Fine. There you have it. I'm jealous of Daniel Quinn. Short, clumsy, Hufflepuff Quinn. She's got to see it sooner or later. No matter how many girls I may have liked, there's only one that sticks in my mind, only one that has been there since my very first day at Hogwarts, only one that I'll never be able to forget. Rose Weasley. Who now happens to be looking at, guess who, again. Only this time, she holds Quinn's gaze and he smiles hesitantly. Which is exactly what she'd been hoping for. Her smile couldn't have been bigger. I feel bad begrudging her her happiness. But not that bad. Rose softens her smile a little and turns back to her work. Quinn watches her a little longer before he does the same. I don't know if either of them realize what happened, but I do. There will be a Quinn and Rose. Which means I'll have to wait a little longer.

Fifth Year

"Guess what, guess what?" My best friend Ellen Macindaw bounds into the room, pulling our other friend, Saige Serrano, behind her and onto their places in the circle of Gryffindor girls in our dorm room.

"One second," puts in Philla Thomas, another of our roommates, "Rose was just about to tell us who she likes, weren't you Rosie?" I roll my eyes. I've always ignored their pleas to talk to them about guys. In my huge family, any time you told anything, you were teased mercilessly, so I'd begun to keep my feelings secret. Turned out, the hobby was hard to break. Confessing something made it so real. Today, I was going to tell. I needed to be able to trust my friends.

"Come one! We all know Rose won't ever spill," Ellen grins at me, "So why don't you let me tell you who Saige likes?" We all turn to Saige, the nonverbal answer Ellen was looking for. We all listen attentively as she speaks, "Scorpius Malfoy!" She looks around, waiting for the reaction that is sure to come. Around me, my friends erupt into shouts, I laugh, trying to fit in. I won't tell them. Not now. I feel like I've been hit my a truck. I never saw it coming. The one time I was willing to let others in. If I tell now, Saige will think I'm trying to steal him. No, I will have to wait. So I continue to play along.

"How long have you liked him?" asked Philla. I had half-opened my mouth to answer the question, before shutting it as I realized she was taking to Saige. I turned red and cringed, embarrassed, though no one saw, thankfully. They would have been sure to call me out on it.

"Since November." The group breaks out into a chorus of things along the line of "Wow!" or "That's so long!" and even some "Why didn't you tell us before?"s. All I can think is October.

That night, Alice Longbottom, sat down at the end of my bed while I was reading. I looked up, and seeing that she wanted to talk, placed my bookmark between the pages of Voyages With Vampires and carefully set it on my desk. I folded my hands in my lap and gave my full attention to Alice. She was there with us earlier, though she didn't say anything then. She must want to now, but doesn't say anything. So I try to start a conversation. "So Saige and Scorpius, huh?" Why in Merlin's name did I bring up that topic?

Alice ignores me and asks a single quiet question. "Rose, did you ever like Scorpius?"

"Yes."

"Was it in second year when he liked you?"

No, I want to say. I like him now. Thinking back, I kind of did like Scorpius. So I say, "Yes." I can't help thinking, however, that we missed our chance.

"Saige is telling Scorpius she likes him." This was Ellen's way of greeting me as she joined me on the walk to Transfiguration.

"When?" I ask, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Now."

Our O.W.L.s were finally over. It was our last afternoon before we would head home for summer holidays and we want to spend it together. Ellen, Philla, Alice, Saige, Scorpius, and me. We're sitting in the grass, a ways from the castle. Ellen had the idea to play truth or dare. She borrowed my quill and put it in the middle of the circle. "Whoever the end points to gets asked first," she announces as she flicks the blue and brown feather. The nib comes to a stop at me. I sigh. "Saige, why don't you ask Rosie?" Ellen suggests.

"Truth or dare, Rose?"

"Truth." There's no telling what they'd come up with for dares with Scorpius here.

"Have you ever kissed a guy?" The question is so completely Saige. Scorpius still hasn't kissed her, even though they'd been together a month. He'd asked her to Hogsmeade when she confessed her feelings to him. I thought it would be hard, to see my friend dating Scorpius, but it wasn't really. They were never going to last. It was quite humorous. Ellen had even told me that if anyone in our group ever dated Scorpius, she thought it would've been me. Later, she and Philla walked behind Saige and Scorpius, holding hands. I couldn't help but say that they were better at it than the actual couple. Everyone thought it was funny, but I know it was mean. I have to cope somehow. I answer Saige's question, despite having analyzed her motives. Daniel and I dated for only three weeks, but...

"Yes." Saige's face fell.

"Was it Daniel?" This was her last pathetic hope.

"Sorry one question only," Philla interrupts. This time she spins the feather. This time it lands on Scorpius.

"Ooh! I want to ask this one." It's Ellen again. "Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"So Scorpius, is Saige the only girl you like right now?"

Both Saige and Scorpius freeze.

"I'm using one of my chickens." Each of us is technically allowed to pass on one dare and one truth.

"Scorpius!"

"What? I'm not a Gryffindor." He lies down in the grass.

I barely hear Alice's voice in my ear. "He wouldn't answer. That means he does."


	3. Year 6

Author's Note: Enjoy and please take the 30 sec to review!

Sixth Year

When I hear the knock on the door, I jump up immediately, dropping my book on the wood floor. Hugo, however, beats me to the door. Suddenly, I am being suffocated by my best friend's hug. "Ellen!" I exclaim when I can breath again. "It's nice to see you to!" We plop down on the sofa and are quickly immersed in conversation. "How is everyone?" I ask after a little while. Ellen had, after all, been at Philla's lake house over the summer. Saige had also stayed with them for a while, too, and I want the answer to the question I don't dare ask.

"Well, Philla had an interesting time with a Muggle boy in town." I raise my eyebrows at this gossip, though not surprised. Philla had dated at least half of the guys in our year, and quite a few older boys, some who had even graduated. "It wasn't really that much, you know, for Philla. She did sneak out a couple of nights, but she promised they did nothing more than kiss," she elaborated. "Though," Ellen continued, forehead scrunched up, "He was 22."

"22!" I can tell this was what Ellen had been dying to tell me ever since she got here. "Anything else happen? How was Saige?"

"Alright, she's still a little bitter."

"Bitter?" There's a little bit of hope in my voice and I feel terrible. My friend is more important than my insubstantial daydreams of Scorpius.

"Yeah, she broke up with Scorpius in July."

"What?" It was now August. I'm a little hurt that Saige never bothered to tell me, even though I had been away in France, visiting family.

"Yup." Ellen reaffirms the breakup, but seems bored. "What about you? Any attractive French guys?" She smiles slyly.

"Yeah, but I think they were all scared of me." I smile. That's not strictly true. Two blokes were definitely interested, but all I was spending all of my time coming up with crazy scenarios in which a blond Slytherin boy appears in France, the reason for his arrival were worthless details in my day dreams, and confessed his secret love for me. Even then I wasn't concerned that he had a girlfriend. Now he didn't. We did think he liked someone else...

"Where are you going, Rose?" Alice's sharp eye caught me as I got up to leave the Great Hall.

"Oh, I'm just going to the bathroom. I'll be back in a minute," I face them as I say this, then turn around once more to leave.

"Sure you are." I look over my shoulder to laugh and roll my eyes at Philla's comment. No one really believes her implications thankfully, even though it is the Yule Ball.

I don't believe my eyes at first when I walk on my way to the bathroom. Scorpius and Larkys Merriweather. Holding hands. It was her. All along. He still liked Larkys, not me. Though I may always come back to Scorpius. He wouldn't always come back to her. The blond and delicately built Larkys. The perfect girl. Perfectly fake. Perfectly mean. As clever as any, as her fellow Ravenclaws can attest to, but wicked inside. How could Scorpius forget? When she found out her liked her in our third year, she made fun of him mercilessly. Her. Larkys. Who he picked over me. I am surprised that she likes him. Maybe this had to happen. They'll have their shot and after Scorpius will finally be able to get over her. Maybe that's all I need to get over him. Once chance to see whether we could ever be. On the way back to the hall, all my rational thoughts slip away. Because there they are. Under the mistletoe. I look away and find my eyes looking into a pair of blue-green eyes, that glitter like the sea in the flickering candlelight. I walk over and begin talking to Liam Finnegan. He's a year old than me, also a Gryffindor. I realize that he has the most delightful smile, one that makes me cheerful just by looking at it. And I don't know how, or if it's bad, but Scorpius is far from my mind as we walk back to the hall together, kissing under every sprig of mistletoe we pass. I guess Philla was right. I can't wait until Scorpius hears. Which he will.

I barely listen to Larkys' words as she continues in her emotionless monotone. "My parents want me to focus on my studies...blah, blah, blah." She never cared and never will. It was only two weeks since the Yule Ball and our very first real date. We'd met up in Diagon Alley on the last week of our holidays. It was already over. To my surprise I didn't really care. So, quite uncharacteristically, I left. Larkys still reciting her scripted speech, not as eager as I thought to go laugh over me with her friends. I was entertainment. I caught side of a familiar head of unruly black hair. "Albus!" I called as I approached him. We stood outside Flourish & Blotts, and I immediately told him about Larkys and we had a thoroughly good time trashing my "lovely" ex-girlfriend before we were interrupted.

"Albus!" Rose's voice is sharper than usually in the cold air. "Where have you been?" Then she sees me. "Oh," and reenters the store, calling over her shoulder, "Once I'm done, we're are leaving, whether you got your books or not."

"Oh? That's all I get?" Albus nods enthusiastically. And for some reason, it really bothers me.

I feel arms wrap around me and turn in them to look up into his face. The one that brings me comfort and strength. I lean in and his lips brush mine once, twice, then the kiss deepens. I close my eyes... When I open them, I realize I was awakened by sunlight streaming through the hangings on my four poster bed. I rub my eyes, trying to remember last night's dream. Then I freeze. Because I do remember. I remember kissing that boy, the boy who was not Liam, who was not the boy I'd been unofficially in a relationship with for two and a half months. The boy I realize was Scorpius. For some reason, I'm not surprised. His name is always the one on the tip of my tongue, but kept inside. "Scorpius."


	4. Year 7

Author's Note: I know it's short, but hopefully you also think it's good! Please review! I'm so glad to have finished my first fan fic! I enjoyed writing it, so I hope you enjoy reading it!

Seventh Year

Rose walked aimlessly through the corridors of the castle, her hand running along the wall beside her. She sighed. The castle was nearly empty; most of the students had already left in the carriages to board the Hogwarts Express. Rose knew she was pushing her luck to wait so long, but she didn't want to leave. The clock had already struck noon and the train was to leave at 1:00, so she began to plod up the stairs, which for once were to readily complying to send her in the right direction. The Great Hall seemed even bigger than usual, now that it was empty. Not only spacious, but lonely, devoid of voices and laughter.

Then she noticed the blond haired boy leaning against the far wall near the door to the entrance hall. Scorpius saw her notice him. He'd been watching for her every since students had begun to trickle from the castle to the grounds. Rose approached the door and reached out to push it open. Scorpius didn't move. Rose couldn't help herself; she looked back and found Scorpius blue eyes already on hers. A real smile spread across her face, bringing with it a warmth she hadn't felt in a long time. Instead of turning away, Rose stepped closer. Scorpius straightened up and did the same. His smile was real, but ready to flee at any moment; Scorpius was still waiting.

"So you're going to be a Healer, right?" Rose asked, looking around the room.

"Really, Rose?" Scorpius chose not to play along. This could be the end or the beginning. She took a deep breath, but still didn't say anything. His heart beat faster. How could she not feel that this was how things were supposed to be, that there were only them? Then Rose hugged him. In all the years they had known each other, they had never really touched, hardly ever really talked, yet he still felt as if he really did knew her. Rose felt Scorpius' arms circle her waist and pull her tighter. She felt a weight lift off of her heart. He wouldn't do this, if he didn't care. Rose looked up at him and they both leaned in at once. Their kiss was brief, but not rushed. When they broke apart, their faces were still mere centimeters apart. "How long?"

"Since second year."

"First." Rose could feel Scorpius' lips next to her.

"Seems like we're a little late."

"Better late than never."

Rose has to ask the question on her mind. "What about Larkys?"

"What about Quinn and Finnegan?"

"I only liked them because I gave up on you!" Rose shouted, then immediately looked alarmed at her uncharacteristic behavior.

"You gave up more than once?" Scorpius' smile turns into a little bit of a smirk.

"I better not have to again," she adds indignantly.

"Why?"

Rose's voice is quiet and had Scorpius been any further away he wouldn't have known she said anything at all. "No matter how many times I try to forget about you and move on," she pauses. "I always end up thinking of you, playing back every memory of you, right back to the very first day, before I knew. Knew that I love you." Rose had managed to look directly at him as she spoke and only looked down now that she was finished. Rose felt at light touch on the bottom of her chin.

She looked up as Scorpius spoke, "I love you, too." When they finally broke apart, both were beaming. Rose reached out and intertwined her fingers with Scorpius'. They didn't need to speak as they turned in unison to leave. They only looked back once, as they stepped out of the last carriage at the foot of the hill. Their glances lingered, not on Hogwarts, but at each other. Sometimes, the times comes for something to end. And sometimes, you get a chance at something beautiful.


End file.
